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Editor's note: Since March 28, Brian Edwards is on an 11-3 run in college hoops for 8.92 units of profit. Going back further, Brian owns a 57-35 record (62%, +1972) since Feb. 21. Don't miss out on tonight's pick package.

Thirty minutes after the conclusion of Louisville-Wichita St. in Saturday’s lid-lifter at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Michigan and Syracuse will meet in the other national-semifinals matchup.

As of early Friday evening, most books had Michigan (30-7 SU, 18-16-1 ATS) favored by two with a total of 131. The Wolverines are one-point ‘chalk’ for first-half wagers.

For bettors extremely bullish on Michigan, Bovada has a proposition wager in which you can lay 8 ½ points on the Wolverines for a +250 payout (risk $100 to win $250). On the flip side, gamblers can back Syracuse as a 4.5-point favorite for a +225 return.

Bovada also has alternate totals. Bettors can take ‘over’ 137.5 for a +175 payday or they can go ‘under’ 124.5 (+175).

John Beilein’s team has dominated three of its four NCAA Tournament foes. Michigan has dealt out ruthless beatings to VCU and Florida and it also bested South Dakota St. in the opening round.

In the South Region semifinals at Cowboys Stadium last Friday night, Trey Burke led a furious rally to force overtime against Kansas. Michigan eventually captured an 87-85 victory as a 1.5-point underdog.

Burke scored all 23 of his points in the second half and overtime, including an audacious 30-footer from beyond the time line to tie the game with five seconds left in regulation. Burke also dished out 10 assists, while freshman center Mitch McGary exploded for a career-high 25 points and 14 rebounds.

The Wolverines raced out to leads of 13-0, 23-5 and 41-17 en route to a 79-59 win over Florida as 2.5-point underdogs on Sunday. Nik Stauskas snapped out of a shooting slump to bury all six of his attempts from 3-point land on his way to a 22-point effort.

Syracuse (30-9 SU, 20-15 ATS) advanced to the Final Four for the fourth time on Jim Boeheim’s watch thanks to last Saturday’s 55-39 win over Marquette as a 4.5-point favorite. The 94 combined points stayed way ‘under’ the 126.5-point total.

James Southerland paced the ‘Cuse with a game-high 16 points. C.J. Fair added 13 points, six rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocked shots, while Michael Carter-Williams finished with 12 points, eight boards and six assists.

The Orange’s other NCAA wins came over Montana (81-34), California (66-60) and Indiana (61-50). But this team’s surge started in the Big East Tournament with three wins before a loss to Louisville in the finals. The ‘Cuse led the Cardinals by 17 late in the first half but went cold offensively in the second half of the defeat.

Michigan owns a 6-7 spread record in 13 games as a single-digit favorite this year. Meanwhile, Syracuse has been an underdog seven times, compiling a 4-3 record both SU and ATS.

The ‘over’ is 21-14 overall for Michigan, 12-8 in its 20 games with a total in the 130s.

The ‘under’ is 18-15 overall for the Orange, going 3-1 in its last four games. The ‘over’ is 7-6 in Syracuse’s 13 games with totals in the 130s.

These schools last met at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City two seasons ago with the ‘Cuse winning a 53-50 decision. However, the Wolverines took the cash as 6.5-point underdogs.

Although we should note that Boeheim had superior talent in nearly every instance, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that Boeheim is unbeaten in nine head-to-head meetings against Beilein.

Boeheim has a 52-28 career record (65%) in the NCAA Tournament compared to Beilein’s 12-7 ledger (63%).

Sportsbook.ag has prop wagers galore for both semifinal matchups. The website has Burke with an ‘over/under’ of 18.5 points that’s shaded to the ‘under’ at a -130 price (even-money for ‘over’ bets). Burke’s total for assists is seven (-115 either way) and rebounds is 3.5 (‘over’ -130).

Tim Hardaway Jr.’s total for points is 13.5 (‘over’ -120), rebounds is 4.5 (-115 either way) and assists is three (-115 either way). I like the ‘over’ for Hardaway as I anticipate him scoring at least 14 points.

Also, I like ‘over’ 11.5 points (-130 price) for Michigan's McGary, who has averaged 17.5 points per game during the NCAA Tournament. McGary scored 21 against VCU and dropped 25 on Kansas.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

The 2013 NCAA Tournament will culminate Monday night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta where Louisville (34-5 straight up, 23-16 against the spread) and Michigan will collide for the national championship.

Just before midnight Eastern late Saturday night, most books opened the Cardinals as either four or 4.5-point favorites. After the first hour of betting, most betting shops had settled at four while the Mirage, Stations and several offshores adjusted to 3.5.

By lunch on Sunday, nearly all books had U of L favored by four with a total of 137.5 or 138. Gamblers can take the Wolverines on the money line for a +160 return (risk $100 to win $160).

For first-half wagers, Rick Pitino’s team is a two-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 63.5.

Speaking of Pitino, what a week this dude has had! (Good thing he decided not to retire after losing to Morhead St. two years ago, right?)

In the span of a week, Pitino’s 30-year old son, Richard, was hired as the new head coach at Minnesota. Also, the elder Pitino was selected to the Hall of Fame and his team rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to beat Wichita St. for the right to cut the nets down Monday night.

But wait, that’s not all! You see, Pitino owns horses and one of his ponies (Goldencents) won the Santa Anita Derby on Saturday at 6/1 odds to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

In 2013, we call that #winning with a hashtag.

But for most of Saturday’s first national-semifinals matchup, it appeared as if Wichita St. was going to advance to the finals. Behind the brilliant play of Cleanthony Early, who finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds, the Shockers led by 12 with 13:35 remaining.

Pitino’s vaunted defense wasn’t forcing any turnovers and U of L couldn’t produce buckets in order to set up its full-court press. It wasn’t looking good – at all.

Pitino was desperate and turned to walk-on Tim Henderson, who didn’t score a point in February and had only played more than eight minutes in a game once this season. Nevertheless, Henderson buried a pair of crucial 3-pointers to give the Cardinals some life.

Luke Hancock began to assert himself on both ends. Hancock would score 20 points to go with four rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.

He saved his most important play for last and, fittingly, it wasn’t one that would show up in the box score. Leading by three with 8.8 ticks left, Louisville’s Russ Smith missed yet another free throw. (Smith, who finished with a team-high 21 points, made only 5-of-12 at the charity stripe.)

When Wichita St.’s Ron Baker elevated to grab the rebounds, he lost his balance somewhat. Hancock noticed as much and instantly tied up Baker just long enough to prompt the official to blow the whistle and look to the possession arrow.

It was pointing Pitino’s way, just like everything else this week.

The Cardinals won a 72-68 decision but failed to cover the number as 9.5-point favorites. After only 51 points were scored in the first half, ‘under’ backers were feeling good. However, 89 second-half points allowed the 140 combined points to jump ‘over’ the 133-point total.

In the nightcap game, Michigan (31-7 SU, 19-16-1 ATS) got sloppy down the stretch but was nonetheless able to capture a 61-56 win as a 1.5-point favorite. The 117 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 128.5-point tally.

John Beilein’s team raced out to a 36-25 lead at intermission thanks to the passing of freshman center Mitch McGary and shooting of reserves Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht. The Wolverines remained in control throughout the second half until crunch time when they started missing free throws and committing careless turnovers.

Syracuse’s James Southerland, who missed his first seven shots and was missing in action nearly the entire game, finally drained a trey to slice the deficit to 57-56 with 41 seconds remaining. Moments later, Michigan Trey Burke made one of two free throws for a two-point advantage.

At this point, Beilein was making offense-defense substitutions. Jordan Morgan, the junior center who had recently lost his starting slot and seen his minutes dwindle due to the emergence of McGary, was subbing in for defense.

With his team trailing by two, ‘Cuse senior guard Brandon Triche saw an opening and attacked the basket off the dribble. As Triche elevated to the rim, Morgan stepped in to take the charge.

It was very close, could’ve gone either way. Some pundits suggested that Morgan was still moving and had slid under Triche after he left the floor. Again, it was very close.

But the official whistled Triche for a charge. Morgan had taken another charge minutes before when the Orange were mounting its furious rally.

When Jon Horford made one of two at the stripe for a three-point lead, Syracuse had one last chance. However, Trevor Cooney took an ill-advised shot in traffic that was inside the arc. He missed and Tim Hardaway Jr. pulled down the rebound.

Morgan sprinted out while the ‘Cuse desperately tried to foul. The two-year starter, who has maintained a great attitude and hasn’t once complained about his diminished role, was hit in stride as he got behind the defense. Morgan, who only played five minutes, put an exclamation point on the victory with a slam with one second left.

You could make the argument that Morgan made the three most important plays of the game. And that, youngsters at home, is why you always remain a team player and keep a positive attitude even in the face of adversity.

Hardaway finished with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists, but he disappointed his prop-bet backers who had taken ‘over’ 13.5 points. McGary produced 10 points, 12 boards, six dimes and a pair of blocked shots.

Michigan will be an underdog Monday night for only the sixth time this season. Beilein’s bunch has compiled a 3-2 spread record in the five previous ‘dog spots.

The Wolverines will need a much better effort from their star point guard Trey Burke, who made only 1-of-8 shots versus the ‘Cuse and missed two free throws at winning time.

The ‘over’ is 21-15 overall for Michigan, 19-14 overall for Louisville. The ‘over’ has hit in nine consecutive games for the Cardinals.

Tip-off on CBS is scheduled for 9:23 p.m. Eastern.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

It’s onward to Atlanta for the Final Four games. To put the wraps on the 2013 NCAA Tournament, listed below are some interesting trends and angles to as our Fab Four heads off to the Hotlanta this weekend.

All results listed below are ATS (Against the Spread) and most recent since 1991 unless noted otherwise. Enjoy…

There you have it, trends and notes of teams and coaches for the NCAA Final Four and out games played the last 24 years.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the tournament as much as I have. I’ll return during the NBA playoffs with an overview of some Good, Bad, and downright Ugly stats and trends. Until then, enjoy the rest of the ‘Dance’.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Louisville, which held up its mantle as the tournament's overall No. 1 seed, will take on Michigan, a No. 4 seed that knocked off the likes of Kansas, Florida and Syracuse on its way to the title game.

Both teams rely heavily on their backcourts and one guard in particular. Michigan's Trey Burke was The Associated Press' player of the year and though his scoring has been down in the tournament, he still directs the offense. Louisville's Russ Smith has been dominating the Cardinals' scoring and is the player who keeps the crowd on the edge of their seats with one ``Russdiculous'' move after another.

Both teams have impressive frontcourts and though it's a different style, both rely on their defense to get their offense going.

A look at the teams who will play for the national title, a prize neither school has brought home since the late 1980s.

---

BACKCOURT

Michigan comes at you with a young team that feeds off Burke, its leader. If there is a knock on the sophomore it's his inconsistency from game to game. In the five tournament games he has ranged from six points to 23 and those all came in the second half and overtime in the win over top-seeded Kansas. He has not shot better than 50 percent in any game and was 1 for 8 from the field against Syracuse. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nik Stauskas have kept up the scoring when Burke doesn't and a big surprise was the solid minutes from freshman Caris LeVert in the semifinal.

Smith and Peyton Siva dominate the minutes for the Cardinals in the backcourt and they are the core of the pressure defense that wears down opponents. They do force turnovers throughout the game but it's the relentless pressure that changes the way teams play in the final minutes. Wichita State only committed 11 turnovers but the bulk of those came in the final minutes. Smith is averaging 25.0 points in the tournament and he has 15 steals in the five games. Siva has been struggling with his shot - 1 for 12 from 3-point range in the tournament - but he is still averaging 8.6 points and leads the team with 23 assists. Losing Kevin Ware to the broken leg against Duke has taken away a big part of the pressure defense.

EDGE: LOUISVILLE

---

FRONTCOURT

Mitch McGary is working his way into Michigan lore with an incredible NCAA tournament. The freshmen forward didn't crack the starting lineup until the tourney and all he's done since then is average 16.0 points and 11.6 rebounds while shooting 69.8 percent from the field. Glenn Robinson III is averaging 12.8 points and 6.2 rebounds and has taken advantage of all the attention paid to McGary for some easy points, especially on offensive rebounds.

Louisville's big man in the middle, Gorgui Deing, has to bounce back from a scoreless semifinal and put up numbers like the 8.8 points and 7.2 rebounds he's averaged in the tournament. He has 12 blocks and seven steals and with his wingspan he's a big part of the pressure defense. Chane Behanan and Wayne Blackshear have been augmented up front by freshman Montrezl Harrell, who gave the Cardinals some good minutes against Wichita State.

EDGE: MICHIGAN

---

BENCH

Michigan's biggest contribution from its reserves in the tournament has been the outside shooting of Spike Albrecht who has yet to miss in five 3-point attempts. LeVert came through against Syracuse.

Louisville unloaded its bench against Wichita State and with Luke Hancock leading the way, the Cardinals' reserves scored 34 of the team's 72 points. Hancock, who had scored in double figures once in the tournament when he has 10 points against Duke, chipped in 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting while Harrell had eight points on 4-for-4 shooting. The surprise of all was Tim Henderson, who had scored six points since Christmas and matched that total on two huge 3-pointers against Wichita State.

EDGE: LOUISVILLE

---

COACH

John Beilein, who is in his first Final Four, is considered among the top coaches in the country and his teams reflect his demeanor on the sideline, calm and in control.

Rick Pitino is trying to become the first coach to win a national championship at two schools, having won it all with Kentucky in 1996. His team's style is a lot like his on the sideline, in control on the outside but going at a frenetic pace on the inside.

EDGE: LOUISVILLE

---

INTANGIBLES

Michigan's last two championship game appearances were losses, the second of which ended with Chris Webber calling a timeout the Wolverines didn't have in a tight game against North Carolina.

Louisville has inspiration sitting on the bench in Ware. Just a week after the country saw his horrific injury in the regional final, he is on crutches and with his teammates in his home state. The picture of Ware and his father hugging after the semifinal win will be shown for years to come.

EDGE: LOUISVILLE.

----

PICK

The difference should be Louisville's relentless pressure but, remember, Burke is due for a big game. Still, the Cardinals should be able to end the season on a 16-game winning streak.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Michigan has handled every test so far. Now it's time for the final exam - a Louisville team that is the NCAA tournament's top overall seed.

Michigan is trying for its first national title since 1989, and Monday night will be its first appearance in the championship game since 1993, when the Fab Five lost to North Carolina. The last two decades have been difficult for the Wolverines, but after sanctions and mediocrity, they're back in the spotlight at college basketball's signature event.

Coach John Beilein's team is plenty talented, but point guard Trey Burke and the Wolverines have reached this moment because of their smarts - and their ability to adjust quickly to new challenges.

``It means a lot to Michigan,'' Burke said. ``This program hasn't been this far in two decades, so just to be back in this situation definitely means the world to alumni and it means the world to us. That's been our No. 1 goal since Day One.''

It was clear from the start that this could be a special team. Led by Burke, the Wolverines won their first 16 games and were eventually ranked No. 1 in the nation at the start of February. But as Beilein stressed over and over, it was still a young team. Burke, the consensus national player of the year, is a sophomore. Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is a junior, but Michigan relies a lot on freshmen Glenn Robinson III, Mitch McGary and Nik Stauskas.

When the NCAA tournament began, the Wolverines still had a lot to prove - but this team's mental strength should not be underestimated.

On the first weekend of the tournament, Michigan faced VCU in the round of 32. After only a day to prepare for the Rams' chaotic full-court press, the Wolverines breezed to a 25-point win.

Two victories later, they were in the Final Four - and again, they were up against an intimidating defense. Syracuse's 2-3 zone confounded opponents in the earlier rounds, but Michigan made six first-half 3-pointers and held on to beat the Orange 61-56.

The Wolverines used their final timeout with 1:51 remaining in that game, bringing back memories of Michigan's last appearance in the Final Four, when Chris Webber called a timeout the Wolverines didn't have, resulting in a technical foul and a loss to North Carolina.

Michigan wasn't about to make that mistake again, and the Wolverines held their nerve against Syracuse's pressure.

``We just stuck together,'' Burke said. ``A lot of people would crack under pressure when you're in that type of situation.''

Michigan has looked poised, prepared and confident for the last month or so. Burke's presence at point guard is crucial, but the rest of Beilein's team makes smart decisions as well.

``He really recruits to his system maybe better than any coach. As Jim (Boeheim) recruits to his zone defensively, he recruits to his system,'' Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. ``He gets everybody that can pass, catch and shoot. Then if you get up on `em, they can ball fake and drive.''

Beilein certainly does take a player's basketball IQ into account while recruiting, but that's an inexact science.

``In AAU it's tough to see that sometimes. That's why we like to see practices, we like to know their coach a little bit,'' Beilein said. ``Have they been coached before? Thankfully most of our guys have really good high school coaches, and that helps us determine what they can handle from us.''

The Wolverines have been able to handle every challenge for the last few weeks, and their presence in the title game is a proud moment for a program that was reeling after a federal investigation revealed that a booster gave Webber and three non-Fab Five players more than $600,000 while they were student-athletes. Sanctions cast a cloud over the team for years, but Michigan's run this season has brought back fonder memories of the past.

On Monday night, the current Wolverines will try to add a national title to their own growing legacy.

``I am still in shock of what we accomplished,'' Robinson said. ``After watching the national championship for so many years and finally having this opportunity to play in it - especially my freshman year - I am really excited for this game. I can't wait.''

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

13) Rick gets Richer Dept: Not only did Louisville win Saturday, and not only did Rick Pitino get elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame this weekend, but a horse Pitino co-owns named Goldencents won the Santa Anita Derby and collected a cool $750,000, becoming eligible for the Kentucky Derby.

12) Excellent idea by the NCAA, having the D-II and D-III title games held on Sunday in the Final Four city. Kids at those levels work just as hard, maybe harder, and deserve to be in the spotlight more.

10) Is Rick Adelman the most underrated coach in the history of team sports? He is 1,000-703 as an NBA coach, coaching in Portland-Minnesota-Houston-Sacramento and Oakland, not exactly the Lakers/Celtics, but doubt most fans could pick him out of a lineup. Adelman played on the same team with the San Diego Rockets as another pretty good coach, Pat Riley.

9) Chances are Astros will deal ace starter Bud Norris later this summer; they're so awful right now, dealing Norris would further replenish their farm system- Norris can get them some significant young talent if they trade him, but if they let him throw 122 pitches many more times, way he did Saturday against Oakland, he'll get hurt before they can trade him.

8) Mets' Jon Niese has lasted 6+ innings in his last 22 starts, the longest such active streak in the major leagues.

7) Had my first-ever Papa John's pizza Saturday; they advertise so much on TV, but I hadn't had one until this weekend. Very good, way better than Domino's, better than the local independent pizza place, too. Thumbs up for the boneless chicken poppers they're selling.

6) Hard to believe, but in the ten years since the Raiders lost to the Bucs in the Jon Gruden Super Bowl, Oakland is 49-111. Now they have another new QB but at least they'll have the same coach this year. Hey, its a start.

5) NHL Winter Classic next January 1 in Ann Arbor- Toronto-Detroit, which figures to have the biggest crowd in NHL history.

A Michigan-Michigan State game in the Big House drew 104,173 back in '10; I'm guessing the NHL can figure out how to break that record.

4) Rough day for some star pitchers Sunday:
-- Matt Cain, 3.2 IP, nine runs allowed in a 14-3 loss.
-- Stephen Strasburg, six runs in 5.1 IP in a 6-3 loss.
-- RA Dickey, eight runs allowed in 4.2 IP in a 13-0 loss.
-- David Price, eight runs in five IP in another 13-0 loss.
-- Justin Verlander, three runs in 7.1 IP in a 7-0 loss.
-- Cole Hamels, eight runs in 5.2 IP in a 9-8 loss.
-- Jered Weaver, five runs in five IP in a 7-3 loss. Weaver also hyperextended his left elbow avoiding a line drive and left the game early.

3) Not sure where Rutgers will turn for a new basketball coach, but it apparently will not be to Rhode Island coach Danny Hurley, who said he is going to stay with the Rams. There are rumors that Ben Howland would listen if Rutgers called- no way they'll get a better coach than him.

West: San Antonio-Utah, Oklahoma City-Houston, Denver-Golden State and Clippers-Memphis.

1) Congrats to the Clippers, who won their first division title in franchise history Sunday, beating the Lakers for the 4th time in four tries this season. No one will remember they won the division, however, unless they advance far into the playoffs. People are funny that way.
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Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

Michigan vs. Louisville
The Wolverines look to take advantage of a Louisville team that is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games against Big Ten opponents. Michigan is the pick (+4) according to Dunkel, which has the Cardinals favored by only 2. Dunkel Pick: Michigan (+4). Here are all of today's games.

MICHIGAN (31 - 7) vs. LOUISVILLE (34 - 5) - 4/8/2013, 9:20 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISVILLE is 45-29 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 45-29 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 51-35 ATS (+12.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a neutral court favorite of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 14-7 ATS (+6.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LOUISVILLE is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.

MICHIGAN is 59-38 ATS (+17.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MICHIGAN is 59-38 ATS (+17.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
MICHIGAN is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
MICHIGAN is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in all neutral court games this season.
MICHIGAN is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
MICHIGAN is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) when playing on a neutral court this season.
MICHIGAN is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in non-conference games this season.
MICHIGAN is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all tournament games this season.
MICHIGAN is 50-30 ATS (+17.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

Favorites covered 10 of last 13 national title games; #1 seeds are 5-1 vs spread in last six finals when facing lower seed. Louisville was down 12 in second half Saturday; they're #2 in country at forcing turnovers, but Michigan is #1 in protecting ball- they hammered VCU, #1 team forcing turnovers. Wolverines were down 10 with 2:32 to go in regional semis, so both teams have stared down grim reaper. Cardinals won last 15 in a row since losing a five-OT game Feb 9; their last nine games went over total. Michigan is 3-2 as an underdog this season; they're 2-0 vs Big East teams, beating Pitt/Syracuse by 5 points each. Four Wolverine starters played 35+ minutes Saturday; only one sub played more than 5 minutes. Louisville played three subs 10+ minutes Saturday; they won despite a subpar game from Dieng (one shot, no points, 30 minutes). Last #1 seed to lose national title game to lower seed: '97 Kentucky, to Arizona.

The loss of Kevin Ware did not seem to limit the Louisville bench in the Final Four. Luke Hancock and the reserves will try to step up again when the Cardinals take on Michigan in the National Championship Game on Monday. The Wolverines knocked off another Big East school, Syracuse, in the Final Four and have the athletes to get up and down with Louisville as well as a point guard in Trey Burke that can dribble through the press.

Michigan has been a better-rounded team in the NCAA Tournament due to the emergence of Mitch McGary, who did not even join the starting lineup full time until the beginning of the Tournament. The freshman forward will lock up with Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan along the frontline in Monday’s Championship Game. Dieng struggled with foul trouble in the Final Four win over Wichita State but Luke Hancock jumped into the extra minutes vacated by Ware and his foul-prone teammates and responded with 20 points.

TV: 9:23 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT MICHIGAN (31-7): McGary showed off his passing ability to help the Wolverines break through Syracuse’s press in the first half on Saturday finished with a season-high six assists to go along with 10 points and 12 rebounds. National Player of the Year Trey Burke struggled to 1-of-8 from the field against the Orange but will be the key to keeping up with Russ Smith and Peyton Siva on both ends while setting up Tim Hardaway Jr. and Glenn Robinson III. The Wolverines like to get out and run with Burke setting the pace and Hardaway and Robinson on the wings. Freshman guard Nik Stauskas had a tough semifinal but can stretch the defense with his shooting ability like he did while going 6-for-6 from beyond the arc against Florida in the Elite 8. Michigan is in the National Championship for the first time since the Fab Five made its second trip in 1993 and is the youngest team in the field of 68, with Robinson III, McGary and Stauskas all starting as freshman.

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (34-5): The Cardinals have won 15 straight games going back to the regular season and have shown off their ability to win in different styles during the NCAA Tournament. After running Duke off the floor in the second half of the Elite 8, Wichita State forced Louisville to slow the pace and would not turn the ball over, leaving the Cardinals to play more of a half-court game. That turned out to be the ideal way to Hancock more involved, and the junior swingman helped Louisville overcome a 12-point second-half deficit. Of course, Smith added 21 points as well and will be a key to keeping Hardaway Jr. and Glenn Robinson from slashing to the hole. Smith has scored at least 20 points in each of the five NCAA Tournament games and combines with Siva to form one of the fastest backcourts in college basketball and a tandem that jumps passing lanes and piles up steals defensively.

TRENDS:

* Wolverines are 5-0 ATS in their last five NCAA Tournament games.
* Cardinals are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
* Over is 9-0 in Cardinals’ last nine overall.
* Cardinals are 1-6 ATS in their last seven vs. Big Ten foes.

TIP-INS

1. Louisville is making its first trip to the National Championship game since winning the title in 1986, and coach Rick Pitino will be trying to win championships with two different schools (Kentucky 1996).

2. McGary is averaging 16 points on 69.8 percent shooting and 11.6 rebounds in the Tournament.

Finding a chink in the oddsmakers’ armor is tough come tournament time. We peel back Monday’s National Championship Game in search of some underlying mismatches that could make or break your college basketball bets.

Michigan Wolverines vs. Louisville Cardinals (-3.5, 138.5)

Wolverines’ deep threat vs. Cardinals’ poor perimeter game

Michigan is a threat to score the second it crosses halfcourt. The Wolverines knocked down 11 3-pointers in their close win over Syracuse, including a couple from just inside the “F” in the Final Four midcourt decal. Each time the Orange clawed their way into striking distance, Michigan was able to put distance between them from distance. On the year, the Wolverines shot 37.7 percent from beyond the arc which accounted for 30 percent of their 25th-ranked 75.2 points per game.

Louisville’s biggest weakness is its lack of reliable scoring from outside. The Cardinals shoot just 32.9 percent from 3-point range on the year and are slightly below that during the tournament (24 for 76 – 31.5 percent). The nine 3-pointers made in the win over Wichita State were the most Louisville has made since sinking 10 versus Villanova in the Big East tournament. In fact, looking back at the Final Four matchup with WSU, those 3-pointers – especially the trio of treys from Luke Hancock – are the reason UL is still dancing.

Louisville’s late fouls vs. Michigan’s misses from the stripe

The Cardinals carry a reputation as a hard-nosed defense but that gets amplified in the final minutes of games. Louisville isn’t giving away anything easy down the stretch and will happily hand out a hard foul and send its opponent to the charity stripe with the game in the balance. It comes with the territory when you press like UL. They took 23 personal fouls versus Wichita State and Duke and average just over 18 per game on the season.

The Wolverines’ foul line woes nearly cost them a shot at the national title. Michigan, which normally hits 70 percent of its free throws, let late-game nerves get the best of it against Syracuse. The Wolverines missed four of their six freebies in the final 48 seconds, allowing the Orange to climb to within one point. Even Player of the Year Trey Burke – an 80 percent shooter from the stripe - couldn’t escape the foul line freeze, going 4 for 6 and missing a key foul shot in the final seconds.

Always remember the 3 G's Girls,Golf, Gambling not in any particular order......:2thumbs:

The officials for tonight's NCAA championship game have been announced and they are John Cahill of Albany, N.Y. (referee), Tony Greene from Atlanta (umpire) and John Higgins from Omaha (umpire). They are working their 11th, seventh and fourth Final Fours, respectively.

Cahill officiated seven games this season featuring at least one of the championship teams. Louisville went 4-1 ATS (against the spread) and Michigan went 2-0 ATS. The O/U (over/under) was 4-3.

Favorites went 1-2 ATS in the three games Cahill worked in the NCAA tournament (New Mexico State vs. Saint Louis, Oregon vs. Saint Louis, Michigan vs. Florida) and the over was 2-1. In the 78 games Cahill has officiated this season, his crews averaged 32.8 fouls per game and gave out 17 technicals fouls, according to Statsheet.com.

Greene officiated four Louisville games this season and the Cardinals went 3-1 ATS. The over was 3-0. He has not called a Michigan game this year.

Greene worked three tournament games and the favorite went 2-1 ATS and the total was 1-2 (Iowa State vs. Notre Dame, Temple vs. Indiana, Duke vs. Louisville). In the 72 games Greene has worked this season, his crews averaged 35.2 fouls a game and gave 15 technicals this season, according to Statsheet.com

Higgins officiated seven games featuring the final two teams. Louisville went 1-2 ATS and Michigan went 3-1 ATS. The over went 4-3.

The favorites in the three NCAA tournament games Higgins worked went 2-1 ATS and the over was 2-1 (Belmont vs. Arizona, Wichita State vs. Gonzaga, Syracuse vs. Marquette). In the 92 games Higgins has officiated this season, his crews averaged 33.9 fouls a game and handed out a hefty 35 technicals in 2012-13, according to Statsheet.com.

Greene and Higgins worked together when Louisville lost to Villanova 73-64 on Jan. 22.

Cahill and Higgins worked the Marquette-Louisville game together when the Cardinals won 70-51.

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